Constraints and tensions in testing general relativity from Planck and CFHTLenS including intrinsic alignment systematics

TL;DR

This study tests general relativity at cosmological scales using diverse data sets, accounting for intrinsic galaxy alignments, and finds GR consistent with current data but highlights existing tensions between different measurements.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive analysis of modified gravity parameters incorporating intrinsic alignment systematics and compares multiple parameterizations, improving constraints over previous studies.

Findings

GR is consistent with data at 95% CL

Intrinsic alignment amplitude $A_{CFHTLenS}$ is generally consistent with zero

Tensions between CMB and lensing data persist, especially for the parameter $oldsymbol{ m extSigma}$

Abstract

We present constraints on testing general relativity (GR) at cosmological scales using recent data sets and assess the impact of galaxy intrinsic alignment (IA) in the CFHTLenS lensing data on those constraints. We consider CMB temperature data from Planck, the galaxy power spectrum from WiggleZ, weak lensing tomography from the CFHTLenS, ISW-galaxy cross correlations, and BAO data from 6dF, SDSS DR7, and BOSS DR9. We use a parameterization of the modified gravity (MG) that is binned in redshift and scale, a parameterization that evolves monotonically in scale but is binned in redshift, and a functional parameterization that evolves only in redshift. We present the results in terms of the MG parameters $Q$ and $\Sigma$. We employ an IA model with an amplitude $A_{CFHTLenS}$ that is included in the parameter analysis. We find an improvement in the constraints on the MG parameters corresponding to $40-53\%$ increase on the figure of merit compared to previous studies, and GR is found consistent with the data at the $95\%$ CL. The bounds found on $A_{CFHTLenS}$ are sensitive to the MG parameterization used, and the correlations between $A_{CFHTLenS}$ and MG parameters are found to be weak to moderate. For all 3 MG parameterizations $A_{\rm CFHTLenS}$ is found consistent with zero when the whole lensing sample is used, however, when using the optimized early-type galaxy sample a significantly non-zero $A_{\rm CFHTLenS}$ is found for GR and the third MG parameterization. We find that the tensions observed in previous studies persist, and there is an indication that CMB data and lensing data prefer different values for MG parameters, particularly for the parameter $\Sigma$. The analysis of the confidence contours and probability distributions suggest that the bimodality found follows that of the known tension in the $\sigma_8$ parameter. (Abridged)